Sometimes, being sorry isn't necessary

Man, everyone’s sorry, aren’t they?

Larry Tanenbaum’s sorry, Brian Burke’s sorry, My Man Kelly’s sorry a year in advance in a fine piece of pre-emptive apologizing.

Me?

I’m not sorry in the least.

Not sure what these public displays of contrition actually do, though. They don’t seem to calm the masses, they really don’t mean anything except an acknowledgment of what we all already knew, and that’s that things didn’t exactly go to according to Hoyle in the season just concluded.

Someone asked me in the comments, or maybe it was the mail (and I need some to start the whole weekly process so please go here and do it), whether I thought Bryan Colangelo would offer to fall on his sword in some public apology after this season finally ends.

No. No. A thousand times no.

Look, I’m not entirely up to snuff on the pucks plans, at least not as much as my learned colleagues, but it would appear what they wanted to happen this year didn’t. No playoffs, no truculence, very little belligerence and shoddy goaltending; a freefall from the middle of the season that was shocking.

The HOTH?

They did exactly what they said they would do.

They looked for – and I love this phrase – “organic growth” of their young kids; they had a new coach who truly has accomplished a major task by getting this group to be a passable defensive unit and they not only didn’t screw up any future financial flexibility, they actually enhanced it with the Barbosa move, which will allow them to trade into significant cap space around the draft if they want to, instead of having to wait to woo free agents when LB’s contract would have expired in July.

Now, it didn’t sit too well with too many of you at points during the season, and I’m sure it frustrated the heck out of Dwane and his staff at times. I’m sure Bryan wanted to do something – anything – at some points in the season but he didn’t.

Look, I would presume that all right-thinking people knew this would be a tough season and that the answers they were seeking about some of their young players might not be great; maybe in discovering whether people could handle enhanced roles they would find out they couldn’t. And that’s as important as finding out whether people could.

So, sorry?

Not in the least.

Leave that the pucks and maybe the soccer whenever that season comes to a disappointing end.

Of course, there’s always this about ‘sorry.

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So I get this e-mail from my good friends at my local (Hi, BP Square 1) touting some new menu item: “all meat wings.”

Now, I’m not a true connoisseur by any stretch of anyone’s imagination but I do know bar food and aren’t “all meat wings” just chicken?

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Yes, I believe a five-game, team-imposed suspension on Ozzie Guillen is punishment enough for his Castro comments and I do admire a guy who'll sit there and take the heat when he knows it's deserved.

Now, wonder what faux pas will come next from him?

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Now, this is great news.

And by great, I mean “boy, can’t wait to stick pins in my eyes instead” great.

Yes, there will be a summer league this season, in Vegas in mid-July and featuring whatever group of disparate talents the local heroes can put together.

Yep, bad play, horrible officiating, oppressive summer Vegas heat, cacophony of casino noise and, perchance, the opportunity to see cheesy lounge acts.

Seriously, the only guys that summer league means anything to for the Raptors will be Ed Davis – if he’s still with them – and whichever kid they take in the draft – if they don’t trade the pick.

Davis can be forcefed the ball in the post to see if he can work on developing some go-to move and even against inferior opposition that’s a got to be part of his development.

Now, that’s all predicated on Davis agreeing to go play – the team can ask and cajole and suggest he does but he’s under no contractual obligation to do it – but if he’s serious about developing his game, he’ll do it.

Same with the pick, they can’t force him but if he doesn’t, it’s foolishness. He, too, can get a steady dose of plays called for him and the coaches will get a chance to see what he’s got, even if almost every possession is halted by over-zealous young refs trying to impress the bosses sitting on the sidelines.

And, no, Jonas Valanciunas won’t be there. He’ll be with the Lithuanian national team trying to qualify for the London Olympics, or getting ready for the Games themselves, and that’s exponentially better experience than anything he’d get in a couple of weeks of summer league.

Me? I’ll go if they want but for one reason only: The league begins about the same time teams will be in a free agent feeding frenzy and it’s the best place to corral general managers who are making the moves.

Because, believe it or not, bad play, horrible officiating, oppressive summer Vegas heat, cacophony of casino noise and, perchance, the opportunity to cheesy lounge acts is really not my cup of tea.

Of course, nothing can top the first Vegas trip of my life, eons ago with Super Dad when we saw Sinatra at the old Sands before they tore it down. Now, he spoke more than he sang but it was Sinatra!

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Okay, this concussion stuff is getting a little ridiculous.

It’s the biggest issue in the pucks, it’s still a problem with the football and, now, it’s reached DWTS??????

Yikes.

If the woman from Little House On The Prairie can’t even stand there and listen to Bruno, Len and The Lovely Carrie Ann do their thing, concussions are a huge issue and we need to deal with them.

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I would say if you’re going to have two hits in five games, having a game-winning three-run homer and a game-breaking two-run single are two good ones to have.

And since JP Arencibia seems to have a bit of a flair for the dramatic at this early stage of the season, it’s a good thing for the TOD.

Imagine when Bautista finds his stroke. Things might get interesting.

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Comments

[Mike D.]

I think "organic growth" is also the reason the waistbands on my pants keep feeling tighter. If that's what the HOTH are looking for, I'll be glad to donate some.

[Peter]

Doug;

Don't you feel Ozzie Guillen suspension is more a factor of where he works (ie Miami) vs his actual comments. For example I am not sure he faces the same type of sanction if he was the manager of the Blue Jays (thankfully not) and is working in a county where some people actually applaud Castro's efforts in Cuba.

Blogger's note: Sure, it was factor

[Mike K.]

You hit the nail on the head, Doug: they can call them "all meat wings" all they want, but if it doesn't have bones, it's not a wing - it's a McNugget.

[David in Oakville]

Well said as always Doug.

Personally, I am impressed by this year's result because this team exceeded my expectations with their defensive play and their sometimes creative offense. I am equally impressed by Colangelo's restraint this year, no dumb moves and pretty much exactly what he promised. No apologies but lets hope BC, Dwane and all the henchmen realize that expectations for next year and this summer will be a little higher.

And I think all fans of basketball are in store for an interesting final.

[skiff]

It's more than a little interesting to me that in a country where freedom of speech reigns supreme, a man is suspended from his job for speaking his freely held beliefs, right or wrong as they may be. Isn't that one of the reasons that Cuban-Americans are so against Castro's Cuba?

[Matthieu]

Interesting take by the BBC on free speech and its limits in the US: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17660865 highlighting fivenstances where freely aired remarks can have serious consequences (ie job loss...):
1. Push the envelope
2. Wrong place/wrong time
3. Hurt your employer
4. Betray your audience
5. Establish a pattern

[LeeZ]

@Skiff: Perfectly put, my good man/woman. I would just add that baseball fan demographics being what they are (i.e. most fans are older), Guillen's statement enraged the older expat Cuban fans in Miami, who are virulently anti-Castro. Their children and grandchildren couldn't give a rat's heiny (sp.?) about Castro. Indeed, the embargo against Cuba WILL be lifted, maybe even in the next four years, because the Castro super-haters will have died off and it will no longer be the third rail of Florida politics like it used to.

[Peter]

On behalf of all the commenters, irregulars, and spammers who should have said this, "I'm Sorry!" I realize that means nothing, but it just seems like the thing to do right now. :)

[Mark]

@skiff: he's not going to be thrown in jail for it, but businesses in many cases demand certain discretion from their employees. People in positions of power simply can't just say whatever they want with no concern for repercussions, nor should they be able to. What a PR nightmare that would be. The simple truth is that we will always be accountable for what we say, whether it's by our company, or by some guy socking us in the face for being a jerk. At least we're not censored by the government, though.

[Lorie]

Hey Doug,
So, I was thinking about this whole apology business and organizing a mental list of notable ones (Movie: John Cleese in 'A Fish Called Wanda'; Song: Connie Francis' 'Who's Sorry Now'; Political: too many and too awful to even contemplate picking one...) but I kept coming back to this one thing: You. Saw. Sinatra. In Vegas. At The Sands. Wow. Said with reverence. Can you remember every detail? Did he sing 'Fly Me To The Moon'? Did you get his autograph? Can you do an entire blog on this one day? Please?
Cheers! The Ring-A-Ding Ding Kind!

[james]

Thanks for your succinct capsule comments on the summer league. I laughed so hard I choked on my first coffee of the morning.
I also agree that this season has been exactly as advertised for the Raptors, part of a larger narrative, and perhaps even better than expected as Oakville David points out.

[Geoff]

Well, what do you think folks....and Doug. Can the Raps get two more to tie last year's win record? We are already guaranteed a better win percentage than last year, so I definitely am happy with this season. It is usually impossible to make mediocre players great players, but there is one thing that any player can do. Hustle. Which announcer the other night quoted Bill Russell? Something like "Effort must be a skill because not every player does it."
Watching hustle and effort is all I need to enjoy a game. Of course, making the game at least close is even more enjoyable and entertaining.
Go Raps

[doug]

this whole freedom of speech thing is a over-played card, I as a individual have freedom of speech (to a degree or at least I am aware of and accept the repercussions of doing so), but as a employee or representative of a company/business etc it's a different matter..and Guillen was and is in the employ of the Marlins, that is a whole other can of worms, he is not speaking for himself, in that instance he is speaking as a representative of the Marlins, so the whole freedom of speech argument doesn't apply here as far as I am concerned....my thoughts on Gm's and specifically the one's here in Toronto are they speak to the press far too often, AA is like a politician constantly somewhere speaking about the Jays, and Burke as well, these guys owe no apologies but also go do your jobs, leave the talking to coaches/players etc and let the product on the field do the talking for you...BC does the best job of staying in the background, AA has never met a camera or mic he didn't like...ok cheers...

[m]

Well they are pretty much hypocrites down there.

[Phil A]

I'm planning a trip to Vegas sometime in July and maybe I'll go catch a Summer League game. You should allow me to do a IGBT on your behalf.

[LeeZ]

@Lorie: Best. Political. Apology. EVER!: Newt Gingrich apologizing for cheating on his various disease-ridden wives, citing his passionate love of country for his having strayed. Yes, that's right: the Newtster cheated because he's a PATRIOT!!!! I mean, you gotta hand it to the guy. His cajones are the size of the Grand Canyon. Here's a very funny take on his apology: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0gQ4nrW8kU

[joeu]

Since Time isn't publishing the article on-line for free, I haven't read it, but unless Ozzie in being interviewed on the Marlins premises, wearing his Marlins Security badge, during his Marlins office hours, I think these comments are part of a personal profile article, and have to be considered as personal comments. Corporate and public visibility being used to curb personal expression is an overplayed card.

This is the best excerpt of the actual quote that I could find:

“I love Fidel Castro… I respect Fidel Castro, you know why? A lot of people have wanted to kill Fidel Castro for the last 60 years, but that motherf****r is still here.”

So why wasn't the headline "Ozzie calls Cuban head of state a M*****F****** " ... perhaps that doesn't sell papers, or drive up web hits, or give causes (like the various Cuban / Citizen / public groups with spokespeople ) reasons to make harsh public pronouncements ?

[Tim H.]

Hey Doug:

Did you have anything to do with this?
http://www.thestar.com/living/food/article/1159706--toronto-s-pearson-airport-set-to-launch-new-restaurants?bn=1

[Lorie]

@LeeZ:
Best. Pre-Emptive. Political. Apology. Ever.
(Not for the faint of heart - or those without a sense of humour.) :)
http://youtu.be/jNX518hfghU

[doug]

@joeu to me your wrong with your impression or interpretation of Ozzie speaking on his own accord...here's a personal example, after a shift one night at the psych hospital in the adolescent section (I never liked the word ward) me and a couple co-workers went to a local watering hole for a few beers to unwind...we talked shop talk, and the discussion turned to another facility which had been experiencing some internal "difficulties' which all in the field knew about (as in every career it's a small world within that business)...and the problem again common knowledge was the head administrator was in way over there head, over-stepping their bounds etc and as a result the place we were discussing was in chaos...well as we were discussing this unbeknownst to us at the next table was a employee of that facility, who in turn went to this administrator reported what we were saying, who in turn went to our administrator and reported it....as a result I was suspended for 3 days, another more senior employee 5 and a probationary employee terminated...we grieved and we easily won, it was a no-brainer and I told management as much as they were infringing on our freedom of speech...but and this is the big difference if I was giving a interview or at a conference or on company time those views would never be shared...as it's a totally different scenario, Doug Smith can sit around and talk with his fellow beat writers about this and that "off the record' but if he is being interviewed or in a scrum or a job related situation whether he realizes it or not (as he does) he is representing the Star...he is free to say whatever he wants but in there he knows there will be repercussions....as Ozzie should have, if Ozzie was sitting in his backyard with a few friends he can say whatever, to be interviewed by Time magazine is a totally different matter...it's really plain and simple and common sense, this is not about the political situation in Cuba, or freedom of speech it is about a guy just not using his common sense, which Ozzie lacks at times....nor about "Corporate and public visibility being used to curb personal expression", that's absurd, say whatever, whenever you want but there are consequences...the 5 game suspension was and is fine (as he shouldn't be removed for those statements) and appropriate and it is what it is as is Ozzie...cheers

[LeeZ]

@poster Doug: well said.

[D-Mac Ottawa]

The entire "Cuba dilemma" could be resolved overnight if the U.S. were big enough to simply recognize it. Talk about a win-win turnaround, not to mention windfall, for one and all.
I'll go out on the limb here and say the same applies to the "Drug dilemma". Legalize it and you'll kill the entire economy it runs on overnight. Why is drugs big business? What gives drugs "value"? Risk. As in prison time. Legalized, that risk is gone, and there goes its monetary "value". It them becomes a social/medical issue, which it is, but not a legal issue, which it doesn't need to be.
If the old Homeland wants to turn the world on its head and kick the economy up about 20 notches in the get-go, it can 1) recognize Cuba, 2) legalize drugs, and 3) trade Puerto Rico to China for Taiwan and a draft pick.
Cheers. Go Raps! Go Jays! Go Barack!

[john]

@Joeu, I get your point about how media takes quotes in or out of context and can make them whatever they like. I think your version would have invoked a run on season tickets sales for the Marlins and a street party in Miami. Instead we have a suspension.
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As for freedom of speech, it’s becoming a more slippery slope all the time. We have people in jail here in Canada because they said the Holocaust didn’t happen which is considered a hate crime. At the same time we think the cartoonist in Denmark has every right to turn Allah into a cartoon because of freedom of speech. Freedom of speech has somehow become subjective.

[Manale]

Being a season seat-holder for many years, an apology from Bryan Colangelo wouldn't make me unhappy.